Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Really bad beer... bought a case. ($10). I'll wash cheap pizza down with this beer, but if that's my goal, hand me a PBR. Too sweet, oddly so. Skunky fruit/vegetable aromas going on. Yeah, this is barely beer. But it does say on the can "America Knows no Finer" so it must be good. (281 characters)

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean this lager now is, especially given it's rank as a super economy beer. I'd tasted it many years ago and it wasn't nearly as polished.

It's a basic American adjunct lager with a crystal clear straw gold to gold body beneath an average sized head of bright white that drops readily to just a collar and leaves very little in the way of lacing.

The aroma displays a touch of apple and a hint of grainy malt but nothing more.

In the mouth it's light to light-medium in body and gently crisp.

The flavor offers the same apple and light malt note that the aroma suggests with a surprising clear note of hoppiness, which is of course fairly 'generic' in its character - if I had to guess I'd go with Cluster, but I'd also be surprised if those are even being grown anymore. It's minimally bitter, but that's all that's needed to balance it as there's really not that much malt, and it's just about as flavorful as many light beers. In fact, Bud Light has 110 calories whereas Old German only delivers 95.

That gets me to thinking... is this the same beer I tasted all those years ago, or is it even lighter than it was then? Probably not, just better brewed.

Overall it's a decent 'light' lager. I'd personally categorize it as a camping/fishing/hunting/beach/boating beer as it's definitely a "lawnmower beer". It's crisp and clean and refreshing, and at just 4.2% abv you can have more than one. (1,557 characters)

Looking at this according to style, even if the style isn't my favorite, it's a damn fine example of an adjunct lager. Nice copper/bronze color as good a head retention as one can expect from this style. Nose is faint, taste is better than any big three brew, feel is smooth and easy to drink. Overall a damn fine palate cleanser, yard work brew. Saying again, this review is according to style. Same goes when it's IPA or Foreign Export Stout, or Dopplebock, or Gose. It's to be rated by it's style, not how a sour compares to your favorite Cascadian Dark Ale. (561 characters)

Contract brewed by City Brewing Company in Latrobe, PA, for Pittsburgh (Iron City) Brewing Company of, wink wink, Pittsburgh, PA. Originally brewed by Queen City Brewing Company in Cumberland, MD.

I've never seen Old German, not even in PA, so of course I found this at a corner store in Medford, OR. You know, right where you would expect to find a regional beer from southeastern PA.

A: An aggressive pour gives a two finger head that dies quickly and leaves some patchy foam and a thin ring. Light to even moderate lacing. Slightly darker than expected but still resembles any macro lager. Held to some light you can see tiny particles floating around. Overall it's pleasing for this style.

S: Sweet grains. Banana and very light caramel. Some non-metallic bitterness, meaning the bitterness doesn't smell like iron or coins. Salty. Clean and inviting. There is nothing stale, artificial, or off.

T: Upfront grain sweetness transitions to mild hop bitterness. There is a slight earthiness in there. My definition of balanced. Simple and enjoyable.

M: Carbonation is perfect for this beer at a medium-high level. Density compares to water but has an enjoyable slickness. Moderate tea-like drying after swallowing. Everything about Old German's mouthfeel begs you to take another drink.

O: Pittsburgh (Iron City) Brewing has a winner on their hands with this beer. This would easily compete against any of the BMC light beers. I'm really impressed at, and surprised by, how clean this beer tastes. I would put Old German into my rotation and make it my go-to light beer if it was available near me.

All you expect a cheap American Adjunct Lager to be but slightly better than bud et al as a little more maltyness.

Enjoy it more as it is a nostalgic choice as not available in my current area or where I lived when first drank as it was the best cheap get drunk stuff in the mountains of West Virginia when rock climbing, caving and drinking by cabins years ago.

So when outdoors in the sun and you plan to drink a bunch while doing nothing or holding one while playing frisbee - this is a good choice. (523 characters)

24 fl oz. can (1 pint 8 oz.) with no apparent freshness date present. My first encounter with a can of this cheap swill, acquired at the local beer store for $1.99. Review #250 for me!

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours two fingers of fluffy bright white head on top of a crystal clear, pale yellow straw colored body. Some carbonation bubbles rushing to the top & the faintest tiny sediment bits floating around. Fat sheets of lacing as the beer recedes.

S - Smell is better than expected, considering the style. Sweet dusty malt smell, slightest hop tinge, and some earthy / lemon grassy qualities to it. Not a bad nose for a cheap American adjunct lager.

M - Feel is crisp & clean, with some fair carbonation and high drinkability.

Overall, definitely not the greatest beer to pass my lips, but in the realm of cheap sh**ty American adjunct lagers, this beer soars above some of the bigger brand names like Budweiser, Miller Lite, & Coors. I would liken this beer to what the Minhas Name Tag Lager tasted like. Unknown abv, but a highly drinkable beer with a more than affordable price tag.

Poured into "can" glass. Poured a pale light gold color, like a light Ginger Ale, with just a thin cap of white head that immediately dissipated and left no lacing.

The aroma and taste were just what I expected, the neutral, bland, slightly grainy scent of the style. The body was light and fizzy, with a slightly sweet finish. Drinkability was as expected, like bubbly water. Overall, not terrible. If one would be in the mood for a beer of this type, you could do much worse (Peeber, Ranier, Heineken, I'm looking at you). There, I ticked it! (546 characters)

Pours a clear yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is quite subdued with malt, grain, and some slight grassy aromas. Taste is much the same with a grain flavor on the finish. There is a very mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer with a watery, bland flavor that makes it a chore to drink. (539 characters)

Poured from a 16oz can into a nonic pint. Body is really pale, I was surprised by how clear the beer was as I poured it from the can. Head stood about 1/2in after the pour, bubbles were large, retention was poor, it quickly recedes to a thin film that only covers about half the surface of my beer. Smell is of sweet grain, and just a touch of hops. In the taste I get some sweet grain, a touch of orange. Body is thin, with light carbonation. Overall, unimpressive, but it beats Coors light, maybe I'll keep some around for my light beer friends. (547 characters)

Poured vigorously into a pint glass to generate a head that lingered longer than most adjunct lagers. The color is typical pale straw yellow. The smell is sweet with a slight metallic twinge and a little bit of hops noticeable. This beer is extremely sweet flavored. The aftertaste is a little bitter but barely enough to balance the malt of adjunct grains. The mouthfeel is light and watery. For the extremely cheap price this a damn fine American adjunct lager. I will buy it anytime I am poor. I used to drink this in high school many years ago when I didn't even really enjoy beer and certainly didn't know good beer. This is one that got me into beer drinking. (696 characters)

Look it is, what it is....Nothing special, but when you picked up that sick pack of tall boys you were looking for in depth flavor of highly kilned malts, citrus, pine, and mango bursts dancing on your tongue from cross bred hops, a sour cherry pucker, huge twang of horse blanket, and multi level earthyness from a complex wild yeast.

No, you we're looking to get drunk cheap, and that is what this beer is good for. You made a right coice, it is almost always cheaper than pbr, and tastes fucking better. So that keeps you cool with your hipster friends.

It can stand up to budweiser, and just like it finishes quite dry, but has a spicy, peppery quality to the yeast.

Coors light, out the way for easy drinking because as soon as it goes down, you just want to continue.

And shit, I will throw out some easy to drink cheap euro lagers that seemed to be the rage in beer 15 years ago, this can of old german, is right there with you, pilsner and kolsch like, offers clean yeast profile, but with subtle spicy, earthy character to it. Its just worth it. It is one of the cheapest beers you can buy, just try it...

Why did I rate so low? Well its BA, I dont want someone to look on my highest ratings and see this in the top fucking five...I drink this beer, you should too....But we are beer geeks, and elitists so we should be ashamed for drinking something like this (1,374 characters)

Crankin', stankin', KA-Blankin' brew that I purchase regularly after visiting my Father in Maryland. OK...so it isn't the greatest beer on the block! It IS, however, noteworthy and quite good for it's origin and intention! Hoist it loud and proud! (247 characters)

6 pack 16 oz cans from Fred Meyer, Wilsonville. $4.59 Have never ever seen this before but i was attracted b the odd,kitchy 1930s style label art. Not even going to attempt a pour but ts just fine and dandy from the can. Aroma is typical cheap American macro-lager cereal,paper,slightly sour. Taste pretty bland, some cereal, a touch of lemon then seltza water basically Very thin..just water really on the palate. Its drinkable but barely beer..i was actually expecting more seeing the old style can (500 characters)

A: Pours a yellow-straw color with some irregular bubbles of carbonation. The white head is initially medium-sized and foamy, although retention is lacking and the cap fades quickly. There's a light smattering of lacing, but mostly the head doesn't stick around long enough to make an impact.

S: Rough, cereal graininess in the nose. A slight herbal hop presence, but significant notes of corn and cooked vegetables keep things mostly unappealing. Also a bit of a metallic edge.

T: Cooked cereal grain flavor up front, with a mild sweetness. Definite corn and veggie character. A light kiss of herbal hops. A twangy, musty flavor is also present - sort of a club soda sourish note. Quite watery.

M: Medium-light body. Carbonation is perky and club soda-esque, which would almost make this beer refreshing if it weren't so watery and lacking in flavor.

D: This is pretty rough, even for a $2.50 sixer of cans. Too much of a funky vegetal character alongside a beer that is otherwise mediocre at best. There are better bargain-basement macros out there; I suspect this survives only out of a combination of nostalgia and novelty. (1,135 characters)

Having spent a lot of time in Da 'Burgh, I CAN't understand why I never saw this in a CAN and had to trade for it. Oh well.

My pour resulted in a rocky finger of bone-white head with low retention. The color was a pale lemon-yellow with NE-quality clarity. The nose belied this being listed as a "German Pilsener". Hooey! This smelled like every other cereal-extended "American Adjunct Lager" in a CAN that I have subjected myself to since the CANQuest began. Sweetish, with that dead giveaway cereal-grain smell underlying what might otherwise be a decent beer. The mouthfeel was thin and fizzy with a very light sweetness on the tongue. Finish was slightly dry and mostly tasteless. It is definitely a lawnmower beer or a nostalgia beer, but beyond that, unless you are on a CANQuest of your own, I would not recommend it. (825 characters)

Appearance - bright gold with a quickly disappearing head, not much lacing. Smell - not much there, pretty generic lager taste.Taste/ Mouthfeel - not much hops there, pretty watery and plain. Mouthfeel has a little bit of carbonation but disappears quickly.Drinkability - I picked this up because it was in tall-boy cans and it reminded me of the old Blatz/ Regal Select beers as a kid. I knew what I was getting and I enjoyed it, not the best qualities but satisfying and I would probably get this again (507 characters)

Old German... wow, what a wonderful beer. I fancy myself a bit of a philosopher so please allow me to employ a Platonic theory to attempt to convey the euphoric experience of drinking a 40oz Old German. According to Plato every perfect thing exists in a separate world, the ideal world if you will. The only things that we humans ever get to experience are imperfect representations of things that exist in that other realm. For example, the perfect chicken wing exists, but no mouth will ever savor it... the closest we'll ever get to that are dozens of deep fried, variously seasoned imperfect attempts at perfection. "Oh cruel world, who will deliver us from this endless cycle of mediocrity?" I hear you cry. Why it's the the Pittsburgh Brewing Co.! Finally, by the grace of our creator a perfect beer! The pinnacle of whose perfection can be fully appreciated when paired with a glazed doughnut or a slice of birthday cake. And for $10.50 a case! Life is good my friends. (976 characters)

I don't really see the pilsner style here it is a better than average american macro. Malty with just a kiss of hops and very drinkable. Decent head, some lacings, and an easy drinker. Not a beer I'm lusting after but I wouldn't turn one down if offered. (254 characters)

while I wish I had the pleasure of drinking out of a 40, as pictured, I'll have to survive with a 16oz can, which I inexplicably poured into a pilsner glass. habit, I suppose.

Looks like water with a drop or two of yellow food coloring. A bit of carbonation fuels a rocky and chunky white head that isn't all that bad, and leaves some nice sheets of lacing.

The aroma, on the other hand, is only saved by its relative mildness. cooked grains, almost cream-of-wheaty, with a bit of corn, a bit of spinach, and a touch of hops.

Tastes like water with a bit of beer in it. or properly, a shandy with water instead of soda. a bit grainy, a bit of wheat, a bit grassy. tastes like bubbles.

mouthfeel is spritely. like sprite. a bit sweet, a lot carbonated. a touch drying, although it may just be the immense carbonation.

wow. apparently "the world knows no finer." I beg to differ. For the price, however, I suppose it's alright, which garners a bit of a score boost. but I'd rather spend a touch more for BMC and get mass market beechwood aged flavor. I can't believe I just said that. (1,089 characters)

My local craft beer store doesn't carry any BMC type beers, but the owner has a fondness for this beer, and has to pull some strings to carry it. He gave me a free can so I could see what all the fuss was about.

Appearance- Poured into a pint glass, 2 fingers of bright white head rises up, and pretty much falls right back down. The beer itself is a very transparent straw color. There was a bit of lacing trying to keep track of my big gulps.

Smell- Mostly corn with a bit of grain. The smell is really faint, which is probably a good thing in this case.

Taste- Sweet, with corn and a bit of graininess. Once the high carbonation kicks in, I pretty much loose any flavor I was tasting before. It's half adjunct lager, half carbonated spring water. There's just a little bit of metal in the finish, as well.

MF- High carbonation prickles the tongue, but isn't so high that it burns the throat like some similar style/priced beers tend to do to me.

Drinkability- I have to give this a pretty high score for drinkability because my pint glass was emptied quick, and drinking it didn't do my tongue much harm. The flavors are light, and refreshing. It's hard to believe that "Ultra" or "Light" isn't written anywhere on the can. It's too bad I waited until winter to try this beer. This would have been a great beer to drink a case of while playing yard games in the summer. (1,379 characters)